Member Program: Inka Khipus and Andean Book History
In the Inka Empire, complex recordkeeping took the form of knotted strings called “khipus,” which remain only partially deciphered today. In this talk, khipu specialist Manny Medrano will discuss the myriad historical uses of Inkan khipus, the ways they endured and adapted following the Spanish conquest, and the global efforts over centuries to decode their contents. This presentation raises a fundamental question: How does putting khipus at the center of Andean book history challenge and expand our definitions of writing, reading and the book itself?
About the Exhibition
In the 15th century, the Inka built one of the world’s largest empires, rapidly expanding beyond the Cuzco Valley to occupy much of South America’s western region. Weaving an Empire: Textiles of the Inka World displays rarely exhibited garments from the diverse communities under Inka rule who dressed to reflect allegiance to the empire and their own local styles and traditions. Learn more about the exhibition
About Manny Medrano
Manny Medrano is a Ph.D. candidate in Latin American history at Harvard University, where he examines pre-Columbian sciences, material texts and their global afterlives. His dissertation is a five-century global history of changing ideas about Inka writing, focusing on khipus. Medrano is also a junior fellow in the Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography. His research has been featured by NPR, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, The BBC and Google Arts & Culture. He holds a M.Phil. in social anthropology from the University of St. Andrews and a B.A. in applied mathematics from Harvard.
How to Participate
This program is for museum members and will take place on Zoom. If you are already a member, please register in advance to reserve your spot. If you are not currently a member, you can join or renew online.
About Member Programs
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